Jul 24, 2026, 08:00 PM UTC

US President Donald Trump has announced new import duties ranging between 10 and 12.5 percent on approximately 60 trading partners, including the European Union, Canada, and Australia. The measures entered into force immediately following the expiration of temporary emergency duties limited to 150 days by a US Supreme Court decision.

The White House justified the tariffs by claiming that foreign partners have taken insufficient action to eliminate forced labor. Under the updated framework, imports from the European Union face a 10 percent levy, while other nations face rates reaching 12.5 percent.

International trading partners and legal analysts have questioned the validity of using anti-forced-labor legislation to institute broad economic tariffs, describing the move as a circumvention of the recent judicial ruling.

Sources: DW, Rzeczpospolita, Tagesschau

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced a cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn.

Under the restructuring, Health Minister Nina Warken will become chief of the Chancellery, replacing Thorsten Frei, who moves to succeed Spahn as head of the parliamentary group. CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann takes over the Health Ministry. Reports from ARD also indicate Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder is expected to leave his post, with CDU politician Fritz Güntzler named as a potential successor, though official confirmation remains pending. Merz indicated additional personnel changes will follow in due course.

Sources: ORF, Tagesschau.

US forces conducted a 13th consecutive night of airstrikes against military targets in Iran, including command centers and drone storage facilities, aimed at mitigating threats to international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media reported four deaths from the two-hour bombardment, while Kuwait stated its border area faced Iranian shelling.

Amid growing maritime disruption, US President Donald Trump stated Washington will utilize frozen Iranian assets to fund repairs for damaged commercial ships and cargo, a move Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned as a "highly dangerous precedent". Furthermore, Trump warned Moscow and Beijing against delivering weaponry to Tehran, claiming Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both promised not to supply Iran.

Sources: Der Standard, ORF, Tagesschau.

Member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to permanently remove chief prosecutor Karim Khan from office following allegations of sexual misconduct. The decision was taken by the Assembly of States Parties, with around 80 member nations voting in favour of his dismissal.

Khan, a British lawyer who assumed the position in 2021, was suspended last month prior to the vote. The court's internal oversight body determined that he engaged in a "serious breach of duty and serious misconduct" concerning a female colleague. Allegations against the 56-year-old prosecutor first came to light in 2024.

Sources: BBC News, ORF, Sweden Herald.

Wildfires across Spain and France continue to escalate, forcing tens of thousands of residents and tourists to flee. In southwestern France, authorities expanded evacuations to over 65,000 people along the Atlantic coast near Bordeaux, utilizing ships to rescue stranded individuals as one blaze expanded to the size of Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron has formally requested assistance from the European Union to combat the spreading flames.

Meanwhile, Spain's interior ministry declared a "state of emergency of national scope" for the Madrid region and neighboring Ávila province. The move places emergency operations under military leadership after several fires merged into a single massive front advancing toward Navas del Rey. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the situation as "dramatic" as emergency crews struggle to contain the inferno.

Sources: Der Standard, ORF, Tagesschau.